SPRETTA

Spretta, (the Old Norse word that ‘Sprint’ derived from) is a sprint for a percussion soloist accompanied by electronics. From the outset, a rhythmic pulse is set that pervades throughout the work. The player constantly expands off this pulse, demonstrating their virtuosity across three different ‘stations’ consisting of different timbres that complement the underlying electronics. The majority of the electronics used were recorded by analog synthesizers, and sculped digitally to model the soundscape that surrounds the audience. Time signature changes and syncopation allow for the dissolution of strong beats throughout the work, leaving the audience in a perpetual rhythmic stasis of simultaneous precision and ambiguity. Throughout the work, the relationship between the player and the electronics becomes almost contentious and culminates in large gestures that feel as though the player is breaking the playback itself.